We are a non-profit organization with a mission and a passion to enrich Minnesota’s diverse image through the preservation, promotion and sharing of the valuable cultural heritage of the Romanian American community, along with its extensive history in the state.

Eugenia Popa – President (Founder)

Gina moved to Minnesota from Bucharest, Romania, in 1995 with her husband and her son. She has been an educator for over 30 years and currently teaches ESL (English as a Second Language) in St. Paul. She loves traveling, working with children, and spending time with her family and friends. Gina has been part of HORA since its inception in 2009 and believes that what brings Romanians together is the ACASA (at home) feeling that we are all longing for. “I think geography is relative. Romania is in our hearts and in our minds. It’s in our power to bring it here with us. That is HORA’s role, to invite everyone to experience the unique Romanian culture, history, and traditions right here in Minnesota.”

Monica was born in Romania, majored from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, immigrated to Minnesota in 1987 and has two business majors from the University of St. Thomas. She is also involved in HORA’s collection and art exhibits.

Raluca Octav – Membership and Newsletter Editor (Founder)

Raluca grew up in Romania where she majored in Medieval History with a minor in education from the University of Bucharest, and specialized in medieval fortifications and iconography. Raluca moved to Minnesota in 1991 and worked several years for the Minnesota Historical Society and continued her research through her affiliation with the Annual Kalamazoo Medieval Studies Conference and the Romanian Institute of Orthodox Theology and Spirituality in New York. At HORA, Raluca has been it’s first president; she helps design historical and ethnographic exhibits and is currently working on the writing and publication of a Romanian Heritage Cookbook.

Having spent more than half of her life in the U.S., Arria still thinks of herself as a Romanian first and foremost. In 2011, she moved from Connecticut to Minnesota where she loves the lakes, Twin Cities lifestyle and the overall friendly nature of the mid-westerners. Born in the U.S., her two kids, Paul Michael and Andrea Nicole love to practice their Romanian language skills and feel particularly special when celebrating their Saint name birthdays. Arria is very proud of HORA’s accomplishments to date, and dreams to see the organization grow to support the needs of Romanians in Minnesota.

Gabriel Petre – Community Engagement

Gabriel moved from Romania to the U.S. in 1990, and has lived in Minnesota since 1995. He majored in Electrical Engineering at Polytechnic Institute in Bucharest, has a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida, and today works as an electrical engineer at Cummins Power Generation.

Daniela Petrescu – Youth Engagement

Daniela Petrescu was born in Ploiesti, where she attended the University of Ploiesti (IPG) and graduated with a Master in Chemical Engineering. She immigrated to US in 1995 and lived in MN since then. She has been raising two boys and working as a Reliability Engineer at Medtronic, Inc.